Chapter 43
Chapter Forty-Three
Drea
“Kaia… hi.”
I honestly didn’t know what else to say. There was so much I wanted to say, but I needed to play it smart. This might be my last chance, and I didn’t want to fuck it up again.
“What…” I cleared my throat and tried again. “Please, have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?” I was a mess. My emotions and words were all over the place.
She shook her head. “No… I’m not here to stay.”
My heart sank. Of course, I knew that. I knew we couldn’t pick up like nothing had happened, but it still hurt to hear it.
“Right, of course. How… how are you?”
She blew out a breath and slowly walked over to my desk. “We aren’t doing this, Drea. I just came for my last check. Maybe I should have waited until you mailed it—”
“No!” I stood up, stopping her from turning around. “No,” I said in a more inside-voice type of way.
“Right… So if I can just get it, I’ll be on my way.”
I nodded. “Of course, please have a seat. It’ll just take a minute.” I motioned for her to sit down, but she didn’t move.
“Drea…” She sighed and relented when my stare didn’t waver. “Fine.”
She sat down and refused to make eye contact with me. I knew this was hard for her as much as it was for me.
I didn’t waste time and got out my checkbook. After pulling up her file and seeing her hours, I wrote the appropriate numbers on the check and handed it to her without a word.
She took the check and stood up, heading to the door. “Thank you… What is this?”
I was sitting in my chair with my legs crossed, exuding professionalism and acting as if everything was totally normal, when she stopped and turned around sharply to glare at me. “It’s your check. Is something wrong? I paid you for your hours of work. I thought it was an adequate amount.”
She scoffed. “Adequate? You think this is adequate? Drea, you overpaid me… by a lot!”
I smiled and sat up in my chair. “I paid you based on what I feel you are owed.”
She shook her head coming back to my desk and throwing the check on top. “Is this some sort of joke or a bribe? To forgive you? I don’t want your money, Drea. I just want to get paid for what I worked and move on. Please don’t make this any harder for me.”
Her eyes were filled with tears, and I didn't want to play games anymore. I stood up and took the check, handing it back to her. “Read it, Kai.”
She furrowed her brows. “What?”
“Read it, Kaia.”
She sighed and took the check, clearing her throat. “Pay to the order of Kaia Rhodes for the amount of… Drea, I already read how much it’s for. Why do I—”
“The bottom, Kaia. Read the bottom.”
She looked skeptically at me and rolled her eyes, clearly getting more annoyed with every second.
She cleared her throat and continued reading. “An advance for the new… co-owner of Open Book Bookstore if she chooses to forgive her idiot boss? Drea, what… co-owner?”
She slumped in the chair opposite mine and stared at me, complete shock on her face.
I sat down and took a deep breath, preparing the courage I needed to say what I had to.
“You were right, about all of it. I didn’t appreciate everything you did for me.
I knew you would do anything I asked, so I took it for granted, and I’m sorry.
I was so wrapped up in my own life and dealing with things, or trying to deal with them, that I lost sight of what was really important—making sure all aspects of my life were taken care of.
That includes this business, and you. This is just the start of my apology.
I want you to come back, Kaia. I want you to be your own boss and have fifty-fifty ownership of the bookstore, with contracts and everything.
Legit businesswoman-type shit.” We both laughed, and I was grateful for the lightness that filled the air.
“You were right about Blair. I drove her away, just like I did with Skylar. But you were wrong about one thing. I do care about her, quite a lot, actually. I love her, Kaia. I am a mess without her. I was addicted to her, and I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.
I’m still trying to work through my issues, but I can admit that I fell head over fucking heels in love with her, and I’d move to Antarctica with nothing but a towel if she asked me to. ”
The entire time I was talking, Kaia stayed in the chair, fidgeting with her jeans.
Her eyes never left mine, and I hated the redness that formed around them.
I was determined to get the words out, though.
If this was the last time she would be in this office, I had to lay everything out on the table.
“I know I’m rambling. What I’m trying to say is that I’m so incredibly sorry for not acknowledging how amazing you are and not appreciating everything you do for me.
Honestly, if it weren’t for you working for me, I would have closed down a long time ago, especially with the way I had been acting for the past two years. ”
“Isn’t that the truth.” Kaia laughed, and I let out a tear of happiness at the sound. “But you really think I can be part owner of the bookstore? You really want me to be your partner?”
I smiled and nodded. “Yes, Kai, I really do. I’m so sorry for everything. I want you to be co-owner of the bookstore, but more than that, I want our friendship back.”
Kaia grinned and stood up. “Thank you… for everything. This is all too much. I—”
I stood up and pushed the check back to her.
“No, Kaia, it’s not. I don’t think it’s enough, to be honest. You are truly amazing at what you do, and I should have seen how lucky I was to have you in my corner.
I see how you interact with the customers, even the bitchy ones, and especially how you are with Daisy.
You didn’t see her as a loiterer, someone who just comes in to lounge around and not buy anything.
You saw her as a young woman who may have just needed someone to talk to, and you have been there for her, just like you were always there for me.
She is very lucky to have you in her life. ”
She blushed and looked away at the mention of her friend, but I kept going, afraid if I stopped, she would vanish out of my life again. “Of course this is just an advance, but when… if you agree and sign the contract, you will get another check to cover your salary for the next five years, which—”
“FIVE YEARS?!” Kaia’s eyes blew wide open and I tried to hide my chuckle. “How is that possible?”
I laughed. “Kaia, love, I’m what you kids would call fucking loaded.”
“What? How?” She looked at me with wide eyes.
I sighed. “Well, technically, my family is the one with money. My grandmother left me a good amount of money, some of which I used to open the store, but I haven’t touched it since.
My parents bought my house for me when I moved here, but I pay them monthly for it.
Granted, it’s not nearly as much as it would’ve been had I purchased the house myself, and I won’t bore you with all my family drama and money technicalities. ”
Her eyes seemed to have gone back to their normal size, but she still sat there without a word.
“Anyway, that’s not the point here. The point is, you deserve this and I would really like you to say yes. I mean, if that’s something you even want. I understand I have thrown a lot at you, and if you don’t even want to continue to work with me, I totally understand.”
I waited with bated breath for a reply. I hadn’t expected her to sit there for so long already.
I expected her to just take the check and leave.
If I was being totally honest, I expected her not to show up at all.
Even if this was the last time I saw her, I was relieved knowing everything was out in the open.
“I have one condition.”
“Is that a yes?”
She smiled. “If I can hire a manager and two people to work the front, especially on the weekends. And someone to teach a sign language class once a month.”
I laughed. “Why am I not surprised? This wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain beautiful deaf woman that frequents my store would it?”
“Our store… and maybe… okay, yes. I really like her, okay? As a friend.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Just a friend, huh? Are you sure about that? I’ve seen the way you look at her, Kaia. The same way Kenzie and Fallon look at each other.”
The way her cheeks flushed, I knew I was right. No matter what a person said, you could always tell what they were really feeling with their eyes.
I also didn’t miss the way she corrected me by saying “our store.” That made my heart soar, and I wanted to crush her into a hug. It was still a fragile situation, so I refrained until I knew we were in smooth waters.
“And how you look at Blair?” she asked.
Something large in my heart broke at the mention of that glorious woman, and my smile fell into one of sadness and loss. I lost the best thing that came into my life, and I had no one to blame but myself.
“Yeah.” My voice cracked at the only word I could manage.
Her face turned a few shades of red. “I guess it’s something like that. But we are just friends, seriously. I don’t want to lose her, and besides, I’m pretty sure she’s straight. Just my luck, right?” She huffed out a laugh, but it sounded painful.
I smiled softly at her. “Kaia, she would be lucky to have you. Just enjoy spending time together and see what happens, yeah?”
She nodded, standing up. “Thanks, Dre. So do we have a deal?” She held out her hand and I laughed, rounding my desk and pulling her in for a hug.
“Of course, Kai. Anything you want.”
“Well, I better get out of your hair. Thanks again, Drea. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
“I’m so sorry again for everything, Kaia. I promise to show you every day how much you mean to me.” I went back to my desk and sat down as Kaia headed out of my office. I couldn’t contain my smile as I thought about how the day seemed to have turned around.
“Thank you, Drea… Oh, hey, Blair, congratulations on the signing.” I looked up to see Blair standing in the doorway.